Sneak peek into the world of hand-crafted peanut candy at this old-school Beach Road shop

The aroma of freshly baked goodies lingers ever so lightly in the air as you step into Sze Thye Cake Shop. Stacks and stacks of pastries, candy and sugar sculptures fill every nook and cranny of this old-school retail and production facility, located in Beach Road. There you will find owner Koh Sun Liang either tending the counter or busy in the back kitchen, making something delicious.

Koh has been helping out in the family business since he was 12. He first tried his hand crafting traditional Chinese confections such as peanut candy at about age 18. Everything he knows, he picked up by observing the old masters at work. The 70-year-old explains in Mandarin that in those days, the veterans “don’t exactly teach you. You just watch and learn; after some time you will get the hang of it”.

Regrettably, there is no successor today, as most find the job laborious and too tough to handle, but Koh expresses that he will continue working for as long as he can.

The crispy crunchy golden peanut candy is a popular traditional Teochew treat and remains one of his top-selling products, along with his tau sar piah (salty version). They are available in blocks and stick-form. Despite running a one-man-show, he insists on roasting the peanuts and toasting the sesame seeds himself. He also continues to craft the peanut candy by hand. “It is just better when you prepare it yourself,” he says.

The peanut candy recipe has remained largely unchanged, though he shares that the candy is not as sweet as the original version. He has also added a touch of ginger to his candy, giving the finished product a more complex flavour profile.

When quizzed on the process of peanut candy-making, the man of few words gives little away, preferring to show us how it is done. From mixing crushed peanuts with sesame, cooking the caramel and peanut mixture, to shaping the candy, everything is done intuitively. None of the ingredients are weighed and no timers are used – not so much as a glance at a watch, or clock.

After much stirring, mixing, rolling, cutting and trimming, a glorious heap of peanut candy is ready. He leaves them to cool completely before packing them into transparent plastic bags.

He hands me a piece of candy to taste. I hold the little gem gingerly in the palm of my hand and take a bite, relishing and savouring every bit of this time-honoured craft honed for 50 years, and executed impeccably in 50 minutes.